MUNICH TRENCH BRITISH CEMETERY

​Beaumont-Hamel​​​​Somme

​France

Location Information

Beaumont-Hamel is a village in the Department of the Somme about 24 kilometres south-west of Arras and 10 kilometres north of Albert. Munich Trench British Cemetery is about 135 metres west of Waggon road, which was the name given to the road running north of the village of Serre.

Using the D919 from Arras to Amiens you will drive through the villages of Bucquoy, Puisieux and Serre les Puisieux. On leaving Serre les Puisieux, 3 kilometres further along the D919 turn left onto the D174 following the signs for Auchonvillers. After 1.3 kilometres turn left onto the D163 in the direction of Beaumont. At the crossroads in Beaumont village, turn left following the CWGC sign for Munich Trench British Cemetery, which is about 1 kilometre further on.

Historical Information

Beaumont-Hamel was captured in November 1916, in the Battle of the Ancre, and the graves in this cemetery are largely those of men who died at that time. The burials were carried out by the V Corps in the spring of 1917, after the German withdrawal to the Hindenburg Line.

Munich Trench British Cemetery (originally V Corps Cemetery No.8) was named from a German trench captured by the 7th Division on 11 January 1917. The cemetery contains 126 First World War burials, 28 of them unidentified.

Tom was my Great Grandmothers Brother. She also lost her husband Richard Green who was killed in February 1916 (Point 110 New cemetery, and already added to the website). Tom Cave was aged 25 when he was killed. He worked at the Vine Mill, Royton, near Oldham as a Joiner-minder. He lived at 67 Rochdale Lane, Royton, Lancs. I have just discovered that at the time of his death my family submitted a poem via the local newspaper. ​"And now he is sleeping his last long sleep, And his grave we may never see,But some gentle hand in that distant land,May scatter some flowers for us".